Improvement in cooking apparatus



J. P. ROBERTS. Cooking Apparatus.

Patented 066.17, 18781` Fig. :3.

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JOHN F, ROBERTS, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN COOKING APPARATUS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 210,879, dated December 17, l "'S application iiled May 24, 1ste.

To all trimm it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOHN F. ROBERTS, of New York city, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements relating to Cooking Apparatus, oi' which the following is a specilieation:

I have devised a convenient attachment to he applied on stoves, ranges, and the like over the tire, the heat from which is allowed to have access by removing a cover. I have in my experiments applied the apparatus over the ordinary top-holes of a connnon cookingstove, and allowed the heat to enter by removing the two covers and the cross-bar.

The apparatus is intended more especially for broiling; but it may be useful also for frying, baking, and cooking'generally, of whatsoever naine. It allows the tire to be very intense or to be quite low., and the cooking to take place at various distances therefrom. I ind that by properly protecting the work from the escape of heat and from the access of cold air, ln-oiling and other opera-tions may heconducted et'ticiently at considerable heights above the tire-surface. I provide for varying these heights, and for facilitating the operation in other ways within a closed casing,\vliich may be conveniently removed and replaced as required.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, and represent what I consider the best means of carrying ont the invention.

Figure l is a perspective view, Fig. 2 a vertical section, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section, of a cooking' apparatus constructed according` to my invent-ion.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in allthe iigures.

A is a casing of thin metal, open at the bottom and front, and closed on the other sides and top. The front is provided with doors A A2, formed as represented.

On each side of the interior are narrow shelves or ledges Bi R2 B3 B4 B5. They extend a. great portion of the dist-ance from the front to the rear, but are entirely omitted at the extreme front, for a purpose which will presently appear.

A frying-pan, broiler, or other cooking utensil of proper width may be inserted from the front when the doors are open, and caused to rest on the shelves at either ot' the several levels. On closing the doors, the cooking may he allowed to proceed for any given period, and the height at which the vessel is suspended may be graduated to the intensity of the ire and the rapidity and character of the et'l'ect desired. ln broiling, the cooking thus conditioned may be allowed to proceed for a little period, when, the doors being opened for a brief period, the broiler maybe drawn out, turned over, replaced, and the doors again sluit. Rut this mode of operating is objectionable for various reasons, among which are the escape ot' smoke and smell and the dripping of grease. I have devised means of avoiding these difficulties and much ot" the labor incident to such operation by employing a gridiron especially adapted. Near the back end of case A, I provide a vertical plate, C, in which are apertures cl c2 c3 cL c5, forming swivelbearin gs.

I make the gridiron double, hinged together with a proper clip or other fastening for holding it shut. The main body is marked M, and is of such width as will turn freely between the inner edges of the shelves. M1 is an extension opposite to the handle. ltcarries a but-ton, m. MZ M2 are lateral extensions at the front corners.

Assuming-the gridiron to be inserted at the middle height, itrests in the recess c3 and on the shelves B3. It rests in the recess c3 by its extension M1 opposite the handle, and it rests on the shelves B by its lateral wings M2. A suiiicientl y wide slit, a, is provided inthe doors, to allow the handle of the gridiron to protrude. It may be moved up and down in this slit. 'lhus conditioned, the gridiron may be turned freely by simply drawing it forward until the bottom in.' strikes the plate C. This movement brings the lateral arms M2 out into the space near the front of the apparatus, to which the. shelves do not extend. Thus conditioned, the gridiron may be turned, and on being thrust back again the arms M2 again rest on the shelves, and all is again in condition.

Il' it is found the heat is too great or too small, the gridiron is drawn forward, and it requires but little strength and skill, supporting the gridiron by the handle alone, to lift it bodily, so as to clear the .button m. Then bring it a little farther forward,raise or lower it to the required notch, and again thrust it backward and engage it.

The top of the casing A being iat affords great facilities for various operations, as warming plates; but the top may be rounded, or of various other forms, if desired.

It is important to the full realizing' of all the benefits ot' my invention that sufticient space be afforded for the gridiron to turn in either its extreme highest or .eXtreme lowest positions. In cases where this desirable condition cannot be realized, the gridiron must be nioved upward or downward a little to allow that operation to be effected.

G is a fastening clip or hood, hinged to the top, and capable of being either thrown back out of the way or brought down over the doors to hold them in a closed position for use, as may be required.

My device greatly facilitates what I consider the inost perfect Inanuer of broiling ineat, which is to iirst expose it brieiiy to an intense heat on each face, and after the surfaces have been a little browned or dried, so as to confine the moisture, finish the cooking, with or withf out the addition of butter or other ingedients, at a lower temperature. This is especially iinportant with beefsteak. It should be placed iirst in the lowest supports, and after being treated there a few turns it should be raised to or near the top, according' to the intensity of the fire, and finished there.

Various modifications may be made by any good mechanic without departing from Athe principle of the invention. I can make the doors entirely removable instead of hinged. I can provide handles equipped with wood to allow the device to be more conveniently handled when hot. rIhe metal portions of the handle of the gridiron should be slender, and provided with a larger wooden part, by which to grasp it.

My device may be applied for sale with new stoves and ranges, or applied to old ones. Pans and round dishes may be applied, and caused to rest on the shelves without special adaptation, provided they are of the right size. I propose to provide dishes of various kinds especially matched to my cooking-case. N is a simply-grated slide, which I propose thus to furnish, and ,which may, if desired, support various articles at any desired level.

Some portions ofthe gridiron Ml M2 may be of wire sufficiently elastic tospring and accommodate different thicknesses of meats; or both parts may be rigid, with provisions for allown ing them to stand apart when thick masses are embraced. Any suitable clip or fastening may be employed. I prefer that the fastening shall be all inside, and that only a single slender rod, m, be caused to extend out through the slit between the doors. An additional door, A3, may be hinged on, as shown, tol cover this slit when the device is required for use as an oven.

In what I esteem the best construction, as shown in the figures, the case is only partially open at the bottoni-in fact, following the exact space of fire-surface exposed, thus protectin g all ofthe stove from grease.

It may be desirable, when in use as a slow oven, to use the apparatus with stove-covers on. f

I claim as my invention- 1. The case A, having doors A1 A2 and short shelves Bl B2, adapted to serve in the manner described relatively to a gridiron or analogous cooking utensil, and to a tire-containin g structure below, as and for the purposes `herein specified.

2. rIhe ease A, having the short shelves Bl B2 and swivel-bearings cl c2, in combination with a gridirou, M, having' a pivot, M1, and arms M2 M2, substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

3. The case A, having the short shelves B1 B2 on its interior, and projecting vertical plate G near its back end, provided with triangular openings having swivelebearin gs c1 c2 at their apices, as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. ROBERTS.

Vitnesses F. S. DRrscoLL, (inns. C. SrErsoN. 

